Interesting stat: There are more than 45million gym memberships in the United States, according to Partnership Capital Growth, a San Francisco-based advising and investment firm that focuses on health and wellness companies.

Launching a small business on the heels of a recession could deter many rookie business owners.

But veteran NFL player Evan Mathis viewed the opportunity to realize his longtime off-field dream as a challenge not all that different from the ones he faces each week during football season.

Accustomed to the rigors that come with a career as a professional athlete, Mathis had no qualms about opening Zone Athletic Performance in Scottsdale in 2010.

“I looked at the lagging economy as a challenge, and my competitive nature may have trumped any reasoning I should have done,” said Mathis, a guard with the Philadelphia Eagles. “The attitude I’ve had in football is to be relentless, and that has bled into my role as a business owner as well.”

With his brother Adam and friend Garrett Shinoskie, Mathis is able to utilize his fitness experience in a venue without Jumbotrons and face paint. They set out to create a facility that would appeal to the professional athlete looking to improve his moves on the field or court, as well the amateur who sought a healthier lifestyle.

They also aimed for a welcoming environment that did not exude exclusivity or the hard-core competitiveness that can discourage some.

“The atmosphere is incredible, and you can feel the energy when everyone is out there working and striving to achieve their goals,” Mathis said.

Zone has attracted a combination of professional athletes, most who train there in their respective sports’ offseasons, and regular Joes and Janes who have their own personal goals. Shinoskie described Zone’s members as being close-knit, comfortable and laid back.

“Athletes like it because they can see a regular person doing their day-to-day life and working out just as hard as if they were earning a million-dollar contract. The general population likes that they have access to this, and a lot of the guys are very humble,” said Shinoskie, who is the director of Zone. “It’s just a very positive culture.”

When Zone first opened, Shinoskie said, there were about 10 members. Eventually, word of mouth drew more professional athletes and amateur workout enthusiasts. Today, there are more than 200 clients.

Making elite routines and strengthening workouts accessible to everyone has been key to Zone’s success and growth, Shinoskie said.

“We’re very passionate about health and fitness, and about our clients and their results. That carries over and gets their friends and family to want to get those same results,” Shinoskie said.

A year ago, Kiki Amanatidis joined Zone through a recommendation by a former Arizona Cardinals player she followed on Twitter. She previously had memberships with big-box gyms but said their atmospheres hindered her desire to commit to regular, effective workouts. But she felt comfortable and inspired at Zone.

Since joining, Amanatidis has lost 50 pounds and dropped 10 percent of her body fat. While at dinner, she has texted photos of restaurant menus to trainers, who tell her the best options for her.

“I feel 100 times better and happier. My whole life changed. They really saved my life,” said Amanatidis, whose Scottsdale home is not far from the gym. “It’s a family environment where everyone motivates everyone else. (Professional) athletes there see you and say, ‘Good job,’ and the staff genuinely cares.”

Mark Schouten started going to Zone, where his wife was already a member, about six months ago. The Scottsdale resident said he was unhappy with his overall health and wanted to lose weight and gain more energy.

The thrice-weekly workouts, personalized attention and comprehensive nutrition plan resulted in Schouten’s dropping 20 pounds and 11 percent of his body fat while gaining almost five pounds of lean mass.

“I feel it’s tailored for me and tailored to meet my goals,” Schouten said. “It’s changed my life around and taught me life skills that I can have for the rest of my life.”

Schouten’s children attend Zone’s youth-oriented programs during their off seasons from school sports. This demographic is the latest facet of Zone’s business model.

The Sports Performance Academy program is aimed toward middle- and high-school athletes serious about pursuing sports in college and perhaps beyond.

Zone hosts boys and girls youth athletic groups representing nearly every field and court sport, as well as individual sports. Participants include an 18-year-old pro skier and teen tennis players. The education goes beyond the physical and includes nutrition counseling. Shinoskie said the next step is getting the program into the schools.

“When started, we were geared toward pro athletes. We had success and saw we had something we could condense down,” Shinoskie said. “A lot of kids are getting bad information, from muscle magazines or hearing something from some guy at the gym who doesn’t have the education or professional experience.”

Shinoskie met Mathis while training him in 2007. Together, they came up with a concept facility based on what they saw working and not working at other places.

Mathis said living and training in Arizona for years connected him with professionals who he felt were among the best, and he hired them. He also hired Adam, who holds a bachelor’s degree in exercise science and human nutrition from the University of Alabama. Mathis also graduated from Alabama, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in marketing.

“Zone was my chance to combine many of my passions in a very fun manner,” Mathis said. “I saw Zone as a business that could grow through hard times, and it has steadily done so.”

Mathis said he is proof of how effective the training methods and his facility can be.

When he launched Zone, Mathis was coming off a down season in which he saw little playing time. He dedicated his off season to training with Adam and Shinoskie and signed a one-year contract with the Eagles.

As a result, Mathis showed up to training camp in the best shape of his life, he said. The work he put in during the spring and summer paid off during that season, which led to the Eagles offering him a five-year contract earlier this year.

“Nobody knew what I was going to do during that season, except myself and the people who witnessed my training,” Mathis said. “I had an incredible year.... My training at Zone was what gave me the opportunity to do that.”

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